To be eligible for 30 hours free childcare, you (and your partner if you have one) must have a National Insurance number and at least one of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- settled or pre-settled status, or been living in the UK before 1 January 2021 with the right to reside
- permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this
You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £152 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage) each.
You, and any partner, must earn less than £100,000 a year each.
In two-parent households, both parents must meet the requirements relating to employment and earnings but only one parent needs to meet the residence requirement.
You may be eligible if you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance.